Lansford Borough Council plans to purchase the town’s former train station from a retiring business owner.

During a special meeting Tuesday night, council voted to purchase the former Lehigh and New England train station, located at 1 Dock St., at a cost of $150,000. It was the home of Hill’s Machine Shop from 1976 until Dec. 31.

“We couldn’t afford to lose it at this point,” said Council President Bruce Markovich.

Council is interested in preserving the building for future economic development. Their deal with owner Ken Hill, 80, includes an initial $10,000 payment. After Hill sells his machine shop equipment, the borough will pay the balance and take ownership.

Markovich said that over the next decade, the station could be transformed into a visitors center that would also host passenger rail excursions.

Passenger trains last ran into the station in the 1950s. A mining company continued using the rails to transport supplies until the 1970s.

Hill adapted the interior of the building to his business, but council members said that he kept all the original artifacts, including a ticket booth which is enclosed in a wall.

Markovich said he does not want to see a new owner strip the building of its valuable pieces and leave behind a shell.

“If that was sold to someone else, we’ll end up with another middle school, another Kiddie Kloes,” he said.

The deal includes the train station, a separate warehouse and land. Markovich said they plan to sell the warehouse, and still are undecided on the land.

One resident questioned whether the council needs to take on another large project at this time. Rose Mary Cannon said council has been planning projects to renovate the Lansford Pool, build a new borough garage, and utilize the property and buildings donated by Silberline.

“I’m not against this, I think it’s a good idea, but there are so many things in this borough that have been started and haven’t been finished,” she said.

Before voting on the purchase, council met with the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corporation and the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau to discuss the property’s potential benefits.

Representatives from the two organizations said they were excited about Lansford’s plans.

Marianne Rustad, membership, events, logistics manager for the chamber, said the building can help boost tourism and be profitable for the borough.

“We really feel this is a first step in the right direction,” Rustad said.

Marlyn Kissner, vice president of membership and community relations for the visitors bureau, said Carbon County is a destination for the visitors that council hopes to attract. In 2020, 280,000 people passed through the Jim Thorpe station.

Kissner said a train station could be a new way to market Lansford to those visitors.

“We want to be able to support the efforts of any new economic development that comes to Lansford - especially a tourist attraction. People come here for history,” Kissner said.